Apparatus for teaching phrenology



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. P. WILGOX AND WM. BUTLER, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TEACHING PI-IRENOLOGY.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,685, dated April 15, 1856.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE P. WILcox and WILLIAM BUTLER, of Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Phrenological Busts; and we hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

To enable others to make and use our invention we proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and making part of this specification.

Figure 1 side elevation; Fig. 2, plan of the tube wire key and organ; Fig. 3, wire key and organ; Fig. 4, organ.

A is a tube.

B is a wire.

C is an organ.

D is a key.

The construction of our improvement in phrenological busts is so simple that any mechanic could make it and it is not liable to get out of order. It can be made of plaster of Paris, wood or metal.

The movable organ C is the important feature of our improvement. By connecting the movable organ C to the wire B on which also is attached the key D we have the apparatus by which different shaped busts are indicated. The wire B is inclosed in the tube A and connects the organ C and key D. The tube A is fastened to the base of the bust and extends up through the neck of the bust and is fastened to the other' tubes in the neck of the bust.

The wire B being inclosed in the tube A is guided in its movement by the shape of the tube A, the organ C and key D being firmly attached to the wire B-enables the operator to move the organ C by the movement of the key D and thus in the movement of the organ C when provided with a rubber covering we are enabled to modify or vary the shape of the bust thereby indicating various or different shaped busts.

The whole bust is to be provided with a rubber covering designed to answer the purposes of the covering of the natural head it having the properties of contraction and expansion consequently in the movement of the key D the wire B and organ C makes an impression upon the rubber likened to the developments of natural congurations found in diiferent shaped heads. To give an example or an illustration of the development of an organ or a class of organs of which a person may have seen all we have to do is to throw out the various organs which characterize or distinguish that person from other persons and thus we have a practical illustration of a universal law in nature long since established thatl size is a measure of power other conditions being equal which was especially understood by Doct. Gall the founder of phrenology to have direct reference to the brain.

The bust is of particular importance to lecturers in giving a correct knowledge of phrenology as they can give correct ideas' of conformation of brain by giving correct conformations of heads. It is also of practical importance to the private student in phrenology as by it, it enables him to in struct himself in the principles of phrev` nology practically by demonstrations of its utility and practical importance and also thereby anticipating the shape of heads of persons he has never seen which furnishes a correct index to character.

The manner of manufacturing the busts will be by making the head and base in halves, the head to be divided from ear to ear which are to be of metal cast from patterns molded in sand. The tubes A are to be set up in each half and attached to the base and top of the bust, after which the bust will be soldered together. The keys D are to be cast on the wires B and forced from the base of the bust up through the tubes B passing out through the center of the location of each organ. The organs C are to be att-ached to the wires B. The rubber covering will exactly fit the bust it will be molded from patterns made for the purpose and exactly to lit the size of the head of the bust.

Vhat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- The combination of the tubes A wires B organs C keys D or their equivalent when provided with a rubber covering or its equivalent for the purposes and in the manner within described.

GEORGE P. WILCOX. W. BUTLER.

Signed in the presence of*- GRAFF, ROBERT OASLER. 

